Springfield daily republic. [volume] (Springfield, O. [Ohio]) 1887-1888, 1887-02-05
MONUMENT FOR ThE STOVE PRES.
A story Of Pioneer Life in Early Cali
fornia Days.

iornih DaNs
Yes, there are many, great many, good
storic, told by pioneers. some more excellent
than true. \ few wears after our occupation
of the state ! was stationed in southern Cali
fOrnia, near Los Angeles. and one afternoon
] Stro!lCl out Ia the scene of the Los Angeles
massacre, in which a friend of mine, "A Young
officer, and some enlisted men hal been
killed by the MeNicaus some time before
While endoavoriug to get a good idea
of the position occupied by our troops
] accidentally stirred up the earth
with my shoe, and looking down | saw
something glisten like gold in the sun |
picked it M and found il To be a human
finger bone, and stlll on it the West Point
class ring of my dead friend, marked with
his name and the date of his graduation |
had visited his family in New England SO
wrote to them incloSing their boys ring and
explaining how il had come into my posses
sion. In the course of time received very
grateful answer, requesting me, If | could
identify the young mans remains, TO have
them disinterrei and sent home. found the
remains and shipped them nicely boxed, to
the depot qaartermaster. then i'll San Fran
cisco, requesting him 10 hold them as would
come along in month mvself and reship
them In due time received another kind
letter announcing the arrival of tine remains.
and the family seemed not able 20 thank me
enough for what had been no trouble to me
at all. Later on, having been granted a
leave of absence, which | was spending in
the east, | found myself in New York city
and | received an invitation to visit the
family again. So one Saturday morning |
started and reached the lovely old home
stead, which was beautifully situated in a
New England town. | was Hospitality re-
ceived On the following morning, Sunday,
/ was taken to the little cemetery and shown
my friends grave, over which had been
erected beautiful marble monument. in
scribed with his name, military history, and
the date and manner of his death. After a
delightful visit l left, and my leave being
up. | received orders to proceed TO San
Francisco 10 report for dutv as depot quar-
termaster. In those d6ys quartermas-
ters when relieving each other, were very
careful To see that all public property re-
ceipted for, even to the last bolt, was there in
the store house before touching pen to the
receipts relieving the other from responsible
ity. The amount of property was great. and
it took me four days to verify it according to
the invoices
On the invoices were some original boxes Of
stovepipes-that is to say, some which had
never been opened. While going around with
the quartermaster sergeant, on the afternoon
of the fourth day, we came to the boxes OF
stOvepipes Being original packages, l did
not order them to be opened but satisfied
myself by moving them slightly in order to
see if they were of the proper weight / had
moved sixteen or seventeen Of them, when
one seemed to be unusually light, and / di-
rectei the sergeant TO open 1t. He did so;
RAISED the Id Of the box slightly. and looked
in. ] noticed him quickly drop the lid and
start back with Il frightened look on his face,
and | said:
Whats the matter, sergeant; isn't it all
right"
NO, sir; there's no stovepipes in there" " he
half gasp-d out
said What is there in the boxr
He said: There's bones-human bones sir.
| saw a skull
The truth then flashed across my mind.
had made n mistake and shipped the wrong
Stovepipe box 10 the old homestead in New
England paid the government the price
of one box of stOvepipeS, gave the old quar-
termaster fun receipt, had the remains
nicely buried in San Francisco AID until this
moment | have never breathed il. But
lovely white marble monument i'll that pretty
little New England town marks the last rest
ing place Of my box of stovepipes.-New
York Times.